Blood and Water
by MaccaMattie
Summary: Blood is thicker than water, but is the heart capable of realizing the difference? Princess Serenity has fallen in love with a man from Earth, but he is not a prince. Can they overcome their circumstances, or more importantly, their own lies? Updated
1. Prologue

AN: Wow, my first Sailor Moon story. Though I've written plenty of other things before, I've never made the leap into fandom… until now. I'll tell the truth: I'm excited and terrified at the same time. And worried. Honestly worried that I won't do the genre justice. I'm posting the prologue of this first because I'm curious to see how it will be received. If people like it and review, the chapters will follow (they are longer than this, so you know). If no one reviews, I will take the hint and not post anymore. Oh, and if I am annoying you right now, gomein. I am not always this insecure.

Don't worry if you are a tad confused at the prologue. These are almost always meant to confuse and interest you. As long as the latter happens, I can deal with the former.

Remember, please review! I need it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. It belongs to the lovely Naoko Takeuchi. Trust me, if I did own it, I wouldn't be so nervous wondering if anyone is going to read this. And now:

**Blood and Water**

**_Prologue_**

"Serenity, did you hear me?"

Princess Serenity looked up quickly to see the eyes of her four senshi upon her, each with a different expression ranging between worry and fear. Her fork clattered down to her plate and her face flushed hot when she realized that she didn't even know which one of them had been speaking. Had she heard them? No, she hadn't heard anything in days.

"Serenity?"

It was Venus who placed her hand over hers, Venus who spoke kindly with worry in her soft blue eyes. She surveyed the princess slowly, those same eyes shimmering with emotion and understanding, and for one horrible moment Serenity thought she might start crying as well.

"Are you all right? We understand if you are still upset with the news and are willing to listen if you need to"

"I am fine," Serenity said, speaking slowly so her voice would not betray her emotions. She looked up and forced a smile that hardly seemed to fit her face, with her cheeks still tight from the tears she had shed two nights in a row. She feared her heart might split under the weight of that lie. She was not fine. Far from it, as a matter of fact. She was starting to believe that she might never be fine again.

"You can talk to us," Sailor Jupiter said, leaning forward from the opposite end of the table. Serenity turned to her and opened her mouth, didn't trust herself to speak, and closed it again. 'I can not talk about it,' she thought. 'Talking does no good and it only reminds me.' When she finally thought she could say something without weeping, she opened her mouth and was interrupted by the crash of Sailor Mar's fist against the table. The dishes clattered together and her eyes flamed.

"Don't you dare shut us out of this Serenity. Don't you dare! We care about you far too much for this!"

Serenity's troubled heart had finally found an emotion she could safely grasp: anger. She rose, her long silver hair brushing the sides of the table and down onto the floor. Her face was calm, composed, but beneath the gentle beauty twitched an anger barely held in check. She smiled at Sailor Mars and the look was neither snide nor sincere, simply impassive.

"I will do as I please, Mars, as control over my speech seems to be the only true control I have left over my life." She nodded to the surprised senshi and gracefully began to leave the table where they had all been eating their breakfast. "If you will excuse me."

Mars jumped up as if to follow her and Venus quickly caught her hand.

"Let her be, Mars. She needs to be on her own right now."

A look passed between the two senshi, speaking volumes in its silence:

_But we can't just let her suffer by herself! We should be talking to her! Calming her! Finding out exactly what is wrong!_

_Not until she wants to talk. She won't talk until she's ready._

_But I don't want her to suffer! She's my Princess, my…_

_Friend. You will always be her friend. Let her sort this out a little in her head first. Let her come to you._

Mars slumped back down into her chair, looking defeated and upset. Venus' hand slipped away and up to her heart. Suddenly it was as if she could feel Serenity's painin her own heart, could taste it as something real in the back of her throat. This was no little girl problem that was eating away at their Princess; this was heartbreak, fear, anguish. And another emotion, which slipped and fought to evade her, was it… love? Yes, love. Red hot and fiery forbidden, it leapt up into her mind like wild fire. Her eyes filled with recognition and she looked back at the door which Serenity had escaped from. She wasn't even aware that the others' eyes were upon her, all she could feel was Serenity's pain.

Surprisingly, it wasn't even the senshi of love who voiced it, this thing that Venus had just become aware of. It was Mercury.

"She's in love with someone else, isn't she?"

Venus could only nod vacantly, wondering why she hadn't felt it before.

Marriage! What a terrible word at that moment. Any other word could not have brought near as much pain.

Burying her face in the pillow, Serenity began to cry harder as the realization struck her once more.

Married. Married to some brainless, stuff shirt, idiot prince! Married to someone who wouldn't love her, someone she could never love in return, not when her heart already belonged to

Jerking her head up, Serenity leaped over to her dresser and yanked at the top drawer. Tears stained her cheeks in shiny paths and she could feel the silver strings of her hair stick to them as she sobbed frantically and searched the drawer. Where was it? It was all she had! Had one of the senshi found it? Taken it to her mother? No they were her friends! They

Her hand touched something hard amongst the clothing and she sighed in relief as she pulled it out. The pocket watch that he had given her ticked softly in the palm of her hand, as calm and consistent as a lover's heartbeat. Wiping at her tears which seemed to fall never ending, she slowly walked back to the bed and sat upon it.

Serenity had waited her whole life to fall in love; her whole existence had seemed geared towards it. During the day she would giggle at boys the way all the other girls did (_Boys are strange! I'm never getting married. Not me, nuh-uh) _but at night she would dream of a man soft and kind who would hold and protect her always. He was nameless and faceless (as most dream lovers are) but she felt in her heart that he was a real person.

Now she was eighteen, a woman, and she felt as if she had finally found him. But somehow in the deepest lulls of her safest dream, reality had snatched him from her. Somewhere, in the mature part of her that was the spitting image of her mother, she understood the reasons. It was because she was a princess, with obligations and responsibilities to a kingdom that barely knew her face. It was because her obligations, as she was so often told though the concept was increasingly hard to grasp, extended beyond her kingdom and into the galaxy. Because she was to be married, to a prince whose planet she could not even find on a map, while the man she loved stayed on Earth and lived without her.

All because the man she loved was not a prince.

Burying her head back into the pillow, Serenity allowed the tears to take over once more. Crying herself into hiccups, she didn't even notice the pocket watch stop ticking.


	2. Chapter One The Stranger

AN: wow, I was so excited to see reviews that I danced around the room at every single one I got. Thank you to each of you who took the time to tell me what you thought and to each of you for being so darn supportive! 

This chapter is not nearly as long as I wanted it to be. There was actually a second half that would have doubled the length of this, but I decided it would be better to put that as a second chapter instead. So please don't get frustrated if this isn't as long as you would like. As the plot picks up a little, the length of the chapters will start to grow also.

I also wanted to say briefly: I am fairly new to sailor moon fanfiction, and although I have tried to stay away from what I consider are the worst clichés I have seen thus far, I have no way of knowing every single plot line that has been used. I do know for a fact that one part of this story has potential to be a horrible cliché, but in when all comes out in the end, I don't think it will be. Or at least, that is my hope.

And now, onto the story. Please don't forget to review. I won't lie: I write for myself, but reviews make me write faster.

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**Chapter One- The Stranger**

_One Week Earlier _

"Can you see anything?" Serenity whispered as she fought to peer out the window that the orange sailor senshi was placed next to. Venus laughed lightly under her breath and patted the impatient princess on her arm. Across from them, on the opposite side of the carriage, sat Queen Serenity with Luna on her lap. Both had twin looks of reproach in their eyes which seemed to be directed at the princess. Raising herself up until her back was completely straight, the Queen addressed the princess who seemed to not even realize she was there.

"You understand, Serenity, that you are accompanying me on this important trip to Earth for a reason, do you not? Serenity?" The princess looked up from the window quickly, the bright in her eyes fading as she turned away from the planet she had admired so much from afar and to her mother who was now looking more than reproachful. "I would like you to use this as a learning experience for when you are Queen."

Serenity nodded, holding her head straight and hoping she looked as regal as her mother. Inside of her, a small rebellious streak burned bright at the way she was acting, so eager to please and so heartbroken when she failed. The voice of this streak was loud and convincing, though it was the voice of a stranger. Serenity loved her people and counted herself lucky to be a princess, but sometimes the pull of being a nobody, a stranger in a crowd of strangers, was so overpowering that she thought she might scream. She found herself biting her tongue as her mother looked at her, a woman that had once been so warm and understanding but was now only so damn _regal, _and was relieved when her mother turned away.

"Besides, this is a great time of celebration," the queen continued, her gaze to the window and yet somehow farther away. "With the signing of this treaty, we will finally be that much closer to ending the period of distrust and fear between the Earth and Silver Alliance. At last we will bring peace to the galaxy. This is an exciting moment in our history Serenity, and you should not miss it."

"Yes mother."

"Mercury?" The blue haired senshi looked up from her computer quickly, blushing when she saw that both the queen and Luna had turned away from the window to see what she was doing. Serenity looked at her also, almost surprised at the presence of her smart friend. She had been so quiet that she had almost forgotten she was there.

"I'm sorry, Queen Serenity. I was trying to do a scan of the palace to see how safe it was. Mars mentioned some premonition about danger before we left, and I fear someone may try to sabotage the signing of the treaty."

The queen closed her eyes and instantly began to emit a soft white glow. All of the passengers including the princess... _especially_ the princess... looked on in wonder.

"Yes, I feel it." Queen Serenity said, opening her eyes and causing the pulsing white light to fade away into the air like smoke. She was facing Mercury with a slight frown. "We shall have to be careful on the Earth as well as the moon. Inform Mars and Jupiter to stay on alert for any attacks that could be directed there while we are away. And you Serenity…" her gaze moved to the princess who, despite herself, began to fidget beneath it. "You need to be especially careful. No sneaking off."

"Yes mother."

"I mean it, Serenity. There are people who would love to end our happiness. Please don't doubt the nature of this threat."

"Yes mother." Serenity's voice was neutral; unreadable. The queen looked at her for a long moment before sighing and turning her gaze to Sailor Venus. A glance passed between them, brief but speaking volumes in its intensity, and the senshi nodded in reply. She would watch the princess closely.

Serenity regarded this out of the corner of her eye, sighing internally. She knew so many things and the closest people in her life had no idea of her knowledge.

Turning back to the window, she let her eyes drift over the landscape of Earth, taking in it's beautiful contrasts and unfamiliar spaces. She had a feeling that before this trip was over, she would know one more thing also: the secret behind the prophecy she had heard whispered about at the palace. The prophecy that she was supposed to know nothing of.

* * *

"Did you see how green everything was?" Serenity squealed, spinning around the room with her arms stretched out, her hair and robe flying out behind her. "Oh and their rose garden, Venus! Did you see that?"

Venus laughed at her lightly and stood in the middle of the room watching her, her hands on her hips. Her long bangs were in her eyes and she had to push them back to see Serenity spin. Finally she cleared her throat and the princess slowed her spinning, clutching her hands in at her sides and fighting for her balance like a top about to fall on its side. Venus' hand came out to help steady her and Serenity clutched it gratefully, still laughing.

Reaching for a hair brush, Venus pulled Serenity over to a padded seat in front of the dresser. This was their nightly routine; had been ever since Serenity could remember, although she knew that the senshi was only a few years older than her and hadn't been a warrior all her life. Every night she would pull the buns out of her hair and brush through all the tangles as they talked about their days with each other, sometimes giggling, sometimes crying, sometimes keeping secrets from each other that they could never share. They had become friends somehow, she was friends with all of her senshi, but she knew that they kept things from her as she did them. A part of her realized this and accepted it as a fact of life. Another part of her, that part of her that tended to cause all of the trouble, was angry with this fact.

"Yes, Serenity. I saw all of those things. But I know what I didn't see!" Venus said, chuckling as she looked at their reflections together in the mirror. Serenity's eyes sparkled. She knew her friend was referring to Prince Endymion, who had been noticeably missing when they had arrived at the royal palace of Earth. The prince of Earth's reputation was well-known. He was supposed to be the best warrior and most handsome man and in whole galaxy.

"I swear Venus, you and men."

Venus did not blush; she _glowed._

"Well, I am the warrior of love, after all!" she said, then with her eyes gleaming mischievously, she picked up the two buns on the top of Serenity's head and wiggled them. "Look at the little bunny. Little royal _Usagi. _Hip-hop. Little rabbit of the moon."

Serenity swatted her hands away and tried to feign annoyance, but smiled despite herself at the nickname. Her father had called her that because of her hair-do and the nickname had stuck among her closest friends and relatives. Only, her mother had stopped calling her that after her father had died. Had, in fact, stopped calling her anything except for _Serenity _in that damn serious voice.

Serenity caught Venus' smile in the mirror and tried her best to copy it. She felt a tug as the pins were released from her buns and her hair took the chance to cascade down her back. She stared for a moment into her reflection, seeing how different wearing her hair down made her look. Though it was still silver and soft, and nothing else about her had changed, for one brief moment the face in the mirror looked like a stranger.

But then the brush was sliding into her hair and she was seeing her friend in the mirror, looking so serious as she started at the top and made her way down with a silky slip of the brush, and suddenly she was back to being Princess Serenity, only now her smile from earlier was gone.

"Minako?"

Venus jumped at the word, the name that, up until taking on the responsibility of a senshi, had been her own. Now it was her secret, one she shared with the princess and the other senshi. It was their special names for each other, but in everyday conversation it was often hard to adjust to. It made her, however briefly, long for that name, that simpler way of life, but she could never tell anyone that because she would seem ungrateful, something she had never wanted to be. Had the two girls talked, had they been honest with each other, both might have seen how very close they were to thinking the same thoughts. One girl, a princess, reflecting on a stranger inside of herself that she longed to know, and one girl, a warrior, reflecting on a stranger she had been forced to leave behind.

She smiled into the mirror at her friend.

"Yes?"

Serenity opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. The question that left her lips made Minako's heart jump.

"The princess wasn't there either," she said quietly, her head moving down. The movement of the brush stopped suddenly on top of Serenity's head, then drifted down until Minako's arm was at her side. Serenity heard her take a deep breath and forced her gaze back up to her friend, fighting to look like she deserved control over this situation. That part of her inside flared up in sudden anger, surprisingly welcoming. Her eyes bit into her friends, asking, no... demanding, that she be told the truth. _Stop lying to me Minako. Tell me about the secrets, the prophecy I hear whispers about that no one will explain. Tell me why some people of the Earth fear me so._

But Minako must not have heard the plea of her gaze, and if she did she ignored it well, for all she did was set the brush down on the table and shrug her arms weakly.

"No, she wasn't. Perhaps she was with her brother and his general. I heard the King mention that they had traveled to a village for..."

"Minako."

But Minako's eyes were down and she would not look up at Serenity. Instead she smiled weakly and pushed her bangs from her eyes once more, turning from the princess and moving towards the bed to pull the covers back.

"You must be tired from the traveling. You should sleep..."

"Minako!" Serenity said louder, standing and clutching fists at her side as the orange warrior pretended like she didn't even exist. But then she looked up at her finally and the look on her face made Serenity stop. Her fists unclenched and tears filled her eyes. Their was a wound there, a deep gash as old as time, hiding in her best friend's eyes and she had never known it. Her breath caught, and Minako quickly glanced back down.

"Goodnight...Usagi," she whispered, walking to the door and slipping out of it before another word could be said. Serenity sat down on the bed and stayed there for a long moment after Minako had left, a million thoughts swirling in her head, a million questions left unanswered. She knew there was a reason for these secrets, she had heard the servants whisper about a prophecy, and she had seen the hard glares of the people from Earth. What was this prophecy, that they hated her so? And why in the name of all the stars in the heavens, couldn't they tell her about it?

Standing, she walked to the balcony and opened the glass doors to step out into the cool, evening air. The smell of roses here was so thick and lovely that, combined with the conversation from a moment ago, she felt momentarily overwhelmed. Clutching the edge tightly, she stared down into the gardens and found herself searching for a way down into them. She finally found a sturdy terrace that covered the wall on the right of the balcony, which stopped about two feet from the ground. She instantly began to wonder if it would hold her weight.

_No, Serenity. This is no time to cause trouble. Go back into your room and sleep. _She looked out into the gardens once more, where the full moon illuminated the countless roses. _They already think you're irresponsible. Prove them wrong._ But it was too late. She was already reaching into the pocket of her robe.

She held the Luna Pen in her hand for a long moment, testing the weight and feel of it, thinking one million thoughts. The pen had been a gift from her father before he had passed away, the year she was eight. She could remember now that he had smiled as he had given it to her, smiled and said, "This is how Moon Princesses play dress up, Serenity," with that deep, booming laugh of his. She had treasured the gift, taken care of it, and it in turn had brought many days of happiness and excitement to her life. Days of cowboys and Indians, tea parties, and puffy pink ballroom dresses. Days of dreaming, giggling, pretending... fearing only the thing that lived under the bed at night or perhaps in the deepest, darkest corner of her closet. But now, standing on the threshold of adulthood much in the same way as she stood on the threshold of her balcony, it seemed that she had feared all of the wrong things.

She had never feared death, or at least had not concerned herself with the thought of it, and yet she still felt the ache inside of her from her father's passing and didn't think she would ever fully recover. She had never feared her future, as a princess or otherwise, and yet now she found the idea of all of it constraining and somehow _odd_, as if it was not meant to be her own though she had prepared for it her whole life. She had not feared insanity, or loss of freedom, or marriage, or simple _adulthood_ but now... now each of these things held a weighty terror of their own as they pushed down upon her, stifling her beneath a wet blanket of doubts and insecurities.

Images wafted through her mind like photographs: Minako's face soft with secrets and undeniable betrayal. The hurt and fear in her eyes. The tremble in her voice. Luna on Queen Serenity's lap, both looking reproachful and unamused. Their true thoughts hard, unreadable, distant. Emotions filled the small princess swiftly, too strong to define or contain. She cast a quick glance out into the rose garden with it's dark corners and relieving moonlight, and bit her lip. Thrusting the Luna Pen into the air before she could change her mind, she whispered, "Luna Pen, turn me into an ordinary girl from Earth!"

Soft pink light filled the room, and a warm, tingling sensation began at her toes. She closed her eyes against the magic (she always had to because for one brief moment it was simply too intense) and then... then it was over and she was opening her eyes to look into the mirror at her new reflection.

Her hair was the first thing she noticed. It was back up in it's familiar hairstyle of buns but now it was a golden blonde that was surprising to say the least. Reaching up, she quickly pulled the pins out and let it fall natural around her face, amazed at the color and the difference something so simple could make in her. Then she began to notice other things also.

The moon mark on her forehead was gone and her white robe had been replaced with a long brown skirt and matching top. Over this was a long, black cape and hood. Her shoes were dark also.

'Rather drab,' Serenity thought, and an almost hysterical giggle bubbled out of her mouth. She clasped a hand over her lips to hold it in and stood there for a moment, trying to calm her nerves.

'_This is insane! You cannot do this!' _something in her, the part of her that loved to please, tried to scream. But it did no good.

She smiled at the stranger in the mirror, and made her decision.


	3. Chapter Two Mr Serious

AN: Yay, more reviews! Thank you to Serenity-hime, Usagi of Feudal Moon Era, SwimBunny123, and Alicia Blade (wow... I mean just...well, you know how much I love you, so saying that I'm honored that you're hear seems just a bit redundant, doesn't it?) I love and appreciate all of you! Thank you for reading and encouraging me. Should I be replying to you each individually? I'm not sure how most people do this but I don't want anyone who went to the trouble to review to feel left out!

Now, I'm sorry but I don't think this is as good as I would like. Writing Endy was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Now from this point on though, I think it's going to get easier. Remember, please keep those reviews coming! I live off of them.

* * *

**Chapter Two- Mr. Serious**

"Eizou? Eizou, what are you doing?" Endymion asked, out of breath as he crouched next to his sister in the dark. They had been walking on their way back from a neighboring village when she had suddenly taken off into the darkness, leaving him and both of their guardians behind. He had chased her instantly and without thought, his body already on alert and waiting for even the slightest bit of danger. He didn't like that they were walking into the palace at night like a band of thieves, though he did agree with his general Kunzite that it was for the best that the people not know that they had arrived yet, seeing as how the Moon Princess and all of her entourage were inside the castle. Now, kneeling beside his sister in the dark, with her long, black hair a curtain of midnight silk around her shoulders and her palms hovering over a normal vine on the ground, he couldn't help but wonder just what was exactly going on.

"Shh!" she hissed up at him, and there was a gleam in her eyes he didn't like. Gold sparks began to shoot out of her palms, leaping into the air at first like fire and then evening out into shots of lightning into the plant, which in turn began to twist and grow beneath her magic. Endymion could hear voices nearby, heavy breathing, and the familiar sound of people running towards them. Suddenly the vine shot out into the darkness and short, muffled cry followed. Endymion looked over and saw a small woman with flaming red hair lying on the grass, a vine tangled around her ankle and hatred in her eyes. In that moment he understood and, despite himself, had to fight back the urge to laugh that was tickling at his throat. Eizou, however, had no such worries. She fell unceremoniously on her side and began to laugh, long and hard.

"Tag," she said through her giggles. "You're it."

Wiping his lips to take away the tiny smile that had been growing there, Endymion stood and offered his hand to the woman.

"I must apologize for my sister and ask that you please not be too angry with her. She's still very immature." He prayed she did not hear the way he had struggled with the words, or the slight laughter that had tinged the beginning. Thankfully the young guardian must have missed this, because she looked up at him suddenly with a gaze so full of gratitude and adoration that he began to feel uncomfortable. The woman, seemingly unable to speak for the moment, nodded somewhat shyly and took his hand so he could help her up. Kunzite, not nearly feeling so kind, yanked the still giggling princess to her feet. They once again resumed their walk in silence.

Eizou's quiet was short lived. Clutching his arm in the dark and swooning slightly, she cooed at him, "Oh my brother. My protector. My sweet _Mamoru._ Protecting his darling sister from the wrath of the sinister new guardian. I am so appreciative."

A smile twitched at Endymion's mouth but he quickly bit it back. Fighting to appear angry, or at the very least firm, he attempted to shake his sister from his arm. She clung like a burr.

"Do not call me that," he said, clenching his teeth.

"Why not?" Eizou asked innocently, batting the eyes that were the twins of his own. Fitting since she was just that: his twin. Endymion cleared his throat and tried to make his voice sound deep and serious like his father's.

"Because it is not my name!" A moment of silence passed, Eizou letting her brother believe he had won, all the while smiling widely into the dark and waiting for him to go on as she knew he would. Soon she was proven right.

"Surely there must be better uses for your powers than to harass your guardian," he whispered, trying to not be overheard. One of the guardians walked ahead of them and one behind, and he couldn't be sure in the dark how close either of them were. He could see the sparks still leaping from Eizou's hands, barely noticeable now but still buzzing slightly with magic, and felt close to her despite his aggravation. It was true what they said about twins and the connection there was there, but the added weight of regular sibling issues often watered it down. Times like these though, as annoyed as he could get with her, he felt as if she were somehow part of him, as if she had been literally ripped from his body and not from the womb they had shared together for nine months. Not that he could tell her that. Oh no. Eizou would laugh until she hurt herself if she heard that.

"And what better uses are those, dear Mamoru? To bring peace and understanding to the galaxy?" Even in the dark he knew she was smirking at him. "Maybe next week."

They were nearing the palace now, the gardens on their left and the main entrance straight ahead, and to where a guard was posted at the front of the bridge. The capes they all wore kept their identities hidden from outsiders, and from the guard as well. He brought his sword up questionably and they each raised their hands to pull off their hoods. Even as the guard ushered them through and they began their long walk across the bridge, Endymion was reprimanding his sister.

"You're immature, Eizou..."

"And you're boring," she cut him off, cheerfully. "Stop acting like you're so much older than me. So you were born three measly minutes before me, so what? That's no excuse to be so darn _serious._"

Endymion sighed, feeling partly that she was right and partly that he might die of exasperation.

"Pardon me if I take my job as Prince of Earth seriously," he started only to be cut off again by the sound of his sister gagging.

"Please, Mamoru, don't talk like father. I can't take it. I'll be sick." He shoved her gruffly and peals of giggles burst forth again from the darkness. They were nearing the end of the bridge where the area forked off and lead to either the castle or the gardens, and his patience was nearly gone. He smiled wickedly in the dark and called out, "Beryl?"

The red-haired woman was soon at his side, looking up at him with eyes filled with emotions he had no words for. He swallowed thickly, trying to cover the unease he felt for seemingly no reason at all. Though he would never have treated her the way Eizou sometimes did, he too felt uncomfortable around the girl's new guardian and was more troubled by the fact that he couldn't seem to pinpoint why. He was not a man for whims, nor had he ever been forced to rely solely on intuition. He was, as Eizou had put it, a serious man. Which made this sick little feeling in his heart very troubling indeed.

"Beryl, please escort my sister to her room. Kunzite, please tell my mother and father that we have arrived home safely and that I will be up to see them sometime tonight. I wish to be alone in the gardens for a moment."

Both guardians nodded to him but all he could see what the slice of Eizou's glare through the darkness. Again, he held back a smile. Beryl, her red hair a fiery gleam in the dark, grabbed the princess' arm and jerked it back just as suddenly when bright gold sparks shot out towards her. The red of her hair was nothing compared to the heat in her eyes.

"Go Eizou," he said, and he made his voice more gentle. She looked at him and sighed, her own eyes a paler shade of midnight, and quirked a smile at him.

"Goodnight my Mamoru," she teased, and he surprised her by sticking his tongue out quickly. She turned to see if anyone had noticed.

"Did you see that? Did you see Mr. Serious?" she exclaimed, but Kunzite had his hand on her back and was now not so gently pushing her forward. Endymion could hear her sputtering into the darkness and finally gave into the laughter he had been fighting all evening.

"Sweet dreams, Eizou," he whispered with a smile.

And looking up at the moon, momentarily captivated by its beauty and light, he was thankful to be alone.

* * *

The gardens were dark and the roses were nearly as full as the moon that hung over her head. Serenity could feel it's gentle light easing her through the maze of flowers as she walked, its ever guiding presence in the sky and on her mind. Down here she felt miles from herself, and that was relieving in a way she had never even suspected. She felt like a floating body suspended in nature, a part of this strange planet itself. The leaves and flowers seemed to reach out for her and she brushed them each in reply, trying to hold back the childish giggle that was building in her throat. Glancing around her to see if anyone was near, she put both arms out and spun into a clearing. Her cape fell back and she smiled at the feeling of the wind in her hair. The smile itself was so large and genuine that she could feel it stretching the corners of her face to accommodate it, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered here. Nothing. 

A sound suddenly pierced the night air and she fought to stop her spinning, her blood suddenly running cold. Had that been voices she had heard? A man's voice? A guard perhaps? Now the sound of footsteps followed these other noises, and then a man's deep chuckle. She found herself pausing in the wind, poised on her toes with her all of her senses on alert, and thinking rather stupidly to herself that the stranger had a nice laugh.

_Like my father,_ she thought, and quickly shook her head to rid it of that thought. For the first time that night, she began to wonder how she was going to get back up that damn balcony by herself before she was discovered.

_I'm an idiot. _

And this time her conscious, which had been so very outspoken before, didn't say a single word.

So she did the only thing she could think of: she pulled her hood over her head and ran.

* * *

The gardens were his favorite place on all of the Earth. Lush and green, they brimmed with countless types of vegetation and life, many of which that defied all description. Though he had visited many places and seen many types of rare things (and beings), he would not have traded any of those wonders for even one inch of these gardens. They brought a sense of pride, a sense of wonderment, that something so beautiful could be created and the hand of man was in no way involved. 

Often times had he gone down to the rose gardens to think, and often times his solitude there had helped him immensely. He had ran from problems feeling as if no hope was in sight and returned feeling that he could manage anything, the whole galaxy even. Here in this place, there were no arguments with his father, no worries for the world, no fear that he couldn't possibly do what he had been destined to do. Closing his eyes now, he felt that same release wash over him. Nothing mattered here. Nothing.

Opening his eyes, he breathed in deeply and adjusted the hood on his head as he began to walk deeper into the gardens. He felt at one with everything around him, everything felt peaceful and calm. The rhythmic noise of his heartbeat mixed effortlessly with the slide of his steps, and his breathes came long and slow. He felt the weight of the day melt slowly until it was nothing: no worry for Eizou, no promise to his father to keep her out of trouble, no village with worried people, no _prophecy_.

Looking to his right, he saw a balcony and an opened door. Idly he wondered if that room belonged to the Moon Princess, if she had perhaps been gazing at her home or at the Earth's roses instead. He had many thoughts about this young lady that seemed to affect his life so strongly, so indirectly, and it seemed that none of them could ever be resolved. Although the stories on Earth were generally fearful (and therefore not very complimentary), people from wondering planets had painted quite a different picture of the silver haired goddess. Supposedly graceful and kind, her extremely good looks were rivaled only by her sweet (if somewhat mischievous) nature. And while Endymion was not necessarily attracted to things _sweet,_ he found himself intrigued by the two polar opposite views of her. Which was she really? This black the Earth had painted her? The untaintable white the neighboring planets spoke of? Or perhaps some indelible shade of gray? He would never know, it seemed. It had been forbidden.

Shaking his head, he realized with a start that he had been standing beneath the balcony as if waiting for the goddess herself to appear. He smiled. If only Eizou were there to see him and know his thoughts, the teasing might never end.

A sudden rustle to his left made his body jump, his eyes searching out the area from which the noise had came. He waited, his body feeling as straight and tight as an arrow pulled over a bow, waiting for the release that would send him hurtling into action. His hand itched to touch his blade but something held him back, fear perhaps that he might hurt someone accidentally.

_But who would be out here in the gardens at this time at night? _He thought. Nonetheless, something foreign flowed through his veins, holding his hand at bay. Emotions bit at his skin and nipped his heart. Was Eizou in trouble? Had she ran away from Beryl? Was it she that was moving through the gardens? At that moment, a rustle came again and he broke out into a run. Something, or rather someone, was in there and he intended to find out who.

Reaching out, he grasped almost randomly into the darkness. Something must have guided him, because his aim was true. Seconds later, a squirming, wiggling human form was in his arms. A rather small, rather... delicate form. It appeared to be a woman, and he would have to be careful with her.

"Hey stop that. I'm not going to hurt you. Stop, I said!" but the warning was short lived because at that moment a fist shot out of the darkness and connected squarely with his nose. Warm blood began to flow down his face and he shook his head in undisguised surprise. He was beginning to feel that he had underestimated this person just slightly.

Ignoring his bleeding nose and the pain that accompanied it, he shoved the stranger roughly and landed on top of her in a clearing where the moonlight was bright and clear. He looked up at her just as her cape fell back.

* * *

Upstairs in the palace, Sailor Venus passed the head general of Earth's army on her way to her Queen's bedchambers. Later Kunzite would think of the beautiful blonde woman he had seen only briefly that had somehow despite that fact, engraved her image into his mind. Lying in his bed, his thoughts would be far from the prophecy, or from the fact that this woman was sworn to protect the very person who put the entire planet of Earth in danger with her presence. He would only think of her beautiful eyes, and the way the air had burned when she had brushed past him.

* * *

On the Moon, Mars awoke from a dream feeling frightened and confused. In her dream, everyone on the Moon lay dead or dying. Only one person remained standing, her long dark hair brushing the backs of her knees and her large, dark eyes over flowing with tears. Over and over she whispered something, the echo of a dying planet catching it and sending it back to her. It was the only noise there was. 

"_It was true. Oh God, it was true."_

Sailor Mars broke from the dream with a cry.

* * *

On a balcony, not far from the one that Princess Serenity herself had escaped from, a lone woman with bright red hair and a matching temper watched a couple as they struggled on the ground. Her senses were heightened, alert, so much so that she felt she could hear the sound of the prince gasping when the cape fell from the other person's face...

* * *

And he looked into the most beautiful set of blue eyes he had ever seen. 


	4. Chapter Three Tempting Fate

_AN: Well, here it is, Chapter Three. It still isn't as long as I would like it, but the natural stopping point for me (in my mind) keeps coming early. Plus I figure it's better to give you shorter chapters and not take too long to give them to you, right? Or at least, that's how I rationalize it._

_Special thanks to all that reviewed the last chapter! Usagi of Feudal Moon Era, you mentioned that this one is the only one you've seen that is going to go through to the battle. I didn't know that. All of the good ones I've read so far have been left uncompleted. SOB But I'm glad I'm doing something semi-original. But just to let you guys know: there's going to be plenty of angst but I'm not going to lie. I love me some happy endings, and this one is going to have one too. I just haven't figure out how yet. LOL._

_Love you guys! Please continue to review and please tell me if this is too cheesy. I think my "cheese-o-meter" is broken._

* * *

**Chapter Three- Tempting Fate**

Serenity looked up into a darkened face, all features hidden from view beneath the shadow of a hooded cape much like her own, and lost the last grip she had on rational thought. She began to kick and punch as hard as she could, her legs flailing wildly at the thing that was lying on top of her, thinking nothing, only feeling fear like she had never known before. In her head she could hear the echo of her mother's words: _"I mean it, Serenity. There are people who would love to end our happiness. Please don't doubt the nature of this threat."_

Suddenly she was very sure of the threat her mother had been alluding to.

Hands clamped down on her shoulders and heavy legs quickly worked to pin hers down. She would not be stopped that easily, however, for hysteria had taken over and she wouldn't be going down without a fight. She heard the person above her utter a small cry as she raised her leg, hoping to hit him where it would hurt the most, and was knocked flat again as he dropped his full weight on her. He held her there for a long moment, his chest against hers, his arms rough on her elbows, until her flails and punches had dissolved into weak tears. The night closed in around them, two young people in what (perhaps to a passing stranger) might have looked like an intimate embrace. Eventually, even her tears slowed when she realized that he was making no move to harm her, and when he pulled away from her slightly, she looked up with wide, confused eyes. Again, she was met with a shadow.

"I'm not going to hurt you, do you understand that?" She nodded mutely, her eyes growing ever wider. "Now, I'm going to lean off of you a little. Will you be good and not try to kill me if I do that?" Again, she nodded.

He was true to his word, and she to hers, although he only took the majority of his weight off and propped himself up on his hands instead of rising up completely. Still, this much was a relief. It was easier to breath without a strange man lying on top of you, she reflected dizzily, and much easier to think when fear wasn't clouding up every available space in your mind.

Perhaps sensing that she was calming down, the stranger reached up and pushed the hood off of his head. Serenity gasped a little in unmasked surprise at seeing his face, thinking to herself that she had not expected such a gruff voice to belong to someone so, well, _handsome._

"Who are you?" he asked, and now that she had seen his face she was suddenly aware of his body that was still covering hers. "You're from the moon, aren't you?"

Her body went stiff at that, unsure of what to say or if she should answer at all. His face was inches from hers and his dark, black hair draped carelessly over one eye; his right eye. She felt curiously aware of everything: the way his chest moved as he breathed, the bite of his fingers in her shoulders, the way his head seemed to fill her whole vision, as if the sky had disappeared and been replaced by this stranger. Swallowing thickly, she said the only thing that came to her mind.

"How...how did you know?"

The man above her frowned slightly, as if disturbed that he had known somehow but couldn't quite figure out how. His eyes searched her face for a moment and she felt her skin flush under the scrutiny.

"You're different," he mused after a moment, his eyes thoughtful. "Your skin seems to glow. Are you here with the royal family?"

"Yes." The word rolled off her tongue before she could stop it. Horrified, she continued, "I am an aide to the princess."

"And your name?"

He was looking at her curiously (in disbelief?) and she knew she had to answer quickly. Her mind shot back to earlier that night, to Minako's smiling eyes in the mirror.

"U-Usagi," she said. She had stuttered but was nonetheless surprised at how easily that lie had rolled from her tongue. He looked at her a long moment and she felt that rebellious part inside of her sparking up in defiance. Pulling her eyes up to his, she forced her gaze to be hard, assured. An electric shock passed through the air between them, so sudden and unexpected that Serenity had to gasp in a breath. The world around them seemed to expand, as if the entire universe had chosen that moment to take in a massive breath, and she suddenly felt how big it all was. Surprisingly, however, she didn't felt insignificant in the scheme of things just then. Oh, no; quite the opposite. Staring into this stranger's eyes, both mouths open and panting, their breaths intermingling like two lover's... no, in that moment she felt towering, powerful even. She felt like she could do anything.

Startled by these feelings, Serenity jerked her gaze to the side, away from his eyes. She could hear the stranger's heavy breathing above her and wondered through a haze, _did he feel that too?_ Almost unaware that she was doing it, she shook her head and tried to act like the moment had never happened.

"Seeing as how you're laying on me, do you think you could at least tell me your name and why you're here as well?"

Her voice had shook, she knew it had, and she hated herself for it. Risking a glance up, she saw the man looking at her with a strange look in his eyes- anger? No, it was definitely amusement- that disappeared just as quickly. It was just long enough for Serenity to think how gorgeous his eyes were. A moment too long.

The man leaned back to climb off of her and for a moment he had to straddle her body to get his balance. Serenity laid still and flushed in the dark, not moving until she knew he was completely standing. Then his hand was in front of hers and he was looking down at her in a look of patronizing amusement that made her want to hit him, handsome face or not. Her blood began to boil in her veins even as she rejected his help and stumbled, quite unladylike, back to her feet. Now his smile was fading, but a spark of it still stayed there, imbedded in his eyes and just along the corner of his lips.

"I wouldn't have had to lay on top of you if you hadn't insisted on attacking me. I'll have you know that you pack quite a punch," he said, bringing a hand up to touch his nose. Serenity looked over and melted slightly from her stiff position as she saw him wipe away a small line of blood from the area, but still could not force herself to say anything. The man took this as his chance to continue.

"To answer your question from earlier, I live and work in the palace."

He seemed to choose his words carefully, but she didn't think too awful much of it. Already this man, with his broad shoulders and dark eyes, struck her as a man that prided himself on being careful with all things, especially words.

"And your name?" she asked, surveying him, trying to make him as uncomfortable as she had been a few minutes before. He hesitated, then answered.

"Mamoru."

"That's an odd name."

"And Usagi isn't?"

Again, her blood leaped up in her veins, liquid fire and molten anger. She was not used to being addressed like she was stupid and it burned her in a way she had never felt before. One more look or comment would be all that it would take, she knew. One more patronizing gaze or implying comment and it wouldn't matter if this man pulled the whole army of Earth out of that cape of his. She would attack him, and she would give him far worse than a bloody nose this time.

He regarded her anger with another smirk and went on.

"Now, are you going to tell me why you were sneaking around the royal gardens in the middle of the night?"

"I wasn't sneaking..." she started.

"Then why did you run?"

She ignored him, going on as if he had never interrupted.

"I wasn't sneaking, I was looking around. We have gardens on the moon, but I had never seen one as beautiful as this one. I felt drawn to it and I wanted to explore. Is that such a crime?"

He regarded her for a moment in silence, and she held his look as honestly as she could. The fear of being discovered as the princess had faded somewhat but the threat was still real, throbbing like a pulse in the back of her mind. She hoped he wouldn't make her leave and go back to the palace with him, because then there would be no escaping. The truth would have to be told, and then what would happen? Serenity didn't want to think about it.

Finally, much to her surprise and relief, Mamoru nodded.

"I can understand that, I suppose. I've lived here my whole life and I still come for the same reasons."

Serenity found herself smiling and clutched her skirts in her hands.

"Well then, now that we understand each other, I think I'll be off..." but she had only made it two steps before he caught her arm in his strong grip.

The electrical shock this time was instantaneous, and even stronger than the one before. As he held her arm, she felt the breath knocked out of her and her mind cleared like a slate ready to be written upon. _It is beginning,_ a voice whispered in her ear, but she was sure that was her imagination. What could be beginning? All she wanted was to get the hell away from this strange man who kept surprising her with his contact. She wrenched away from him but she didn't have to pull hard. His hand had been slack and his face showed the confusion he felt as well. Again she tried to walk away, and for a moment she was on her own, but then she heard the sound of footsteps behind her and spun angrily.

"What are you doing?" she screeched, as frustrated and confused as she had ever been. Sure enough, there was Mamoru behind her, his dark hair falling over his eye and his gaze quietly unreadable.

"I don't trust you, therefore I am following you," he told her matter-of-factly. Serenity, beyond all words at this point, could only stomp along in the darkness beside him while she attempted to work on a plan of escape in her mind. It would have been easier if he hadn't kept looking at her.

Why the _hell _was he smiling at her like that anyways?

* * *

Endymion, or Mamoru now as it seemed, didn't think he had ever smiled so much in a single night before in his life. He was usually so serious, reserving smiles only for Eizou and only then when she had earned them. For some reason this small blonde girl, who was looking more and more agitated with him by the second, kept eliciting this response from him. Maybe it was her look as she stomped along through the woods, her face so open and innocent that the anger, no matter how genuine, looked like that of a pouting child. Maybe it was the way he could so easily get under her skin already, the way she flushed red in the dark, her fists clenched at her sides and her eyes angry, simply because he had taken a certain tone of voice with her. It was certainly interesting to watch her emotions change, from wonder at the beauty around her, to frustration with him, to reluctant gratitude when he stopped her from stumbling for the third time, back to anger when she saw him smiling at her clumsiness. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't help it, that he had never seen anyone like her that advertised every single emotion that ran through her heart over her face, that smiling was only natural in this situation, even though under normal circumstances there couldn't have been a more _unnatural_ reaction from the prince of Earth. But since he could say none of these things, at least not the way he needed to, he kept quiet as he walked beside her through the gardens, letting her lead and explore. He kept quiet...but still he smiled.

The gardens lead out into a clearing and in the middle of this clearing stood a large, impressive fountain. The middle of it stood tall, spraying water out as a dome that landed into a small pond at the bottom. Roses were carved into its base, and ivy curled around the edges, perhaps inviting friends and guests to join it on the climb up and into the fountain. The moonlight shining into the gleaming water finished the picture and to both parties, it looked like the most beautiful place in the universe.

Endymion was broken from his thoughts by a playful squeal and looked up to see the girl (_Usagi,_ he reminded himself) running toward the fountain with her skirts in her hands. Her hair, half of which had escaped the confines of the cape, streamed out behind her in a gleaming wave of gold. He followed her, that same smile twitching at his lips uncontrollably, and watched as she climbed up onto the base of the fountain.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She promptly ignored him and began balancing her way around the edge, ignoring him yet again when he sat down in her way. Pivoting on one foot, she changed direction easily and wobbled that way for a while, giggling every time she almost fell in. He watched all of this with amusement, knowing what would inevitably happen if she kept tempting fate that way.

"You're going to fall," he told her simply, and she looked up with a look so withering that he wanted to feel bad but could only continue smiling. She had looked up at him while balancing the arch of her foot on the very edge nearest the water, and her anger had snapped what little bit of concentration she'd had going for her. Just as quickly as the prediction had left his lips, the little blonde-headed girl was tumbling face first into the base of the fountain.

Water sprayed up, soaking what part of her hadn't been submerged, and she looked up at him, her gaze defeated. Laughter bubbling past his lips, he reached and hand out and offered it to her. Quietly she brought her own hand up and took his, but not before offering him her first smile of the night.

"Baka," she said, and promptly pulled him in the fountain beside her.

Sitting beside her, his entire body dripping with water from the fountain and her laughter ringing in his ears, he couldn't believe when his own joined hers. Looking up at the full moon above them, a stranger in the water beside him and all rules and decorum long lost, he felt as Usagi must have when she had been balancing on the edge of the fountain.

He felt as if he was tempting fate.

And he liked it.


	5. Chapter Four Walk On

AN: Hey guys. Sorry this chapter took so long. It was really a pain in the butt to write and I'm not sure I like it at all. That's ok, though. Onwards and upwards, right? Ugh.

Thank you to all that reviewed the last chapter and this story in general. It's what has kept me going, honestly. Please review and tell me if you liked this chapter or what you think I need to work on.

More author's notes at the end, but they're necessary.

* * *

Minako held her breath as she knocked lightly upon the door of the Queen's makeshift bedchambers. The corridor was empty and quiet, so even the small sound her knuckles made reverberated loudly. Wincing at the noise, she fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt and counted her breaths while she waited. It was Ami who opened the door.

"Is she still up?" Minako asked, trying to fight the urge to look away from her friend's quietly examining eyes. Ami nodded.

"Yes. Luna and I were helping her prepare notes for tomorrow." She back stepped a little to allow Minako room to move inside, an opportunity the nervous blonde took quickly. "Serenity..."

"Is safely in bed," Minako finished, and again Ami nodded, this time looking visibly relieved, and began to lead Minako into the room where Queen Serenity was.

The room was large and well decorated, obviously having been redone at the last minute with this new guest in mind. All of the sheets and chairs were a pale, silvery white, and a large, gossamer canopy the color of the Queen's dress flowed down from the top of the bed. Perched on a small couch of matching color, the Queen sat with papers in her hand, almost seeming to blend into the room itself until she looked up and caught eyes with Minako. She didn't stand, and Minako made no gesture of bowing. The air felt hot and thick.

Minako had always looked up to the Queen of the Moon (surely she still did) but there had once been a time, as for the Princess herself, where a much more palpable emotion had been between them. When the King had been alive, Serenity (the elder) had been wise and assured and yet ceaselessly patient. Minako had been young and confused and yet amazingly curious. Together they had created a relationship nearly as close as the Queen and Princess themselves, and yet...

And yet, the good days had long ended. The King had died unexpectedly _(mysteriously),_ Minako had become the leader of the inner senshi, and the Queen... the Queen had become cold and distant, serious and over powering. Now Minako, who had long since passed the days of being clumsy and childish, longed for nothing more in that moment than to fall in front of the Queen and lift eyes to her filled with admiration and respect, to feel the touch of a soothing hand on her forehead and a cool laugh in her ear. Ached to see the woman that she had once thought of as a second mother.

But sitting on the couch was only Queen Serenity as she now was: regal and serious and coldly beautiful.

"Venus?" she asked, Luna stirring to look up at the soldier also. Minako fumbled momentarily before stepping forward.

"Yes, Queen Serenity. I...I wanted to speak to you about the princess if I may."

"Is she..."

"She's well. It's just..." Minako faltered, fighting for the right words and fearing they might never come. Finally she opened her mouth and allowed it all to flow out: "She has so many questions. She wants to know why she is being kept from meeting the prince and princess, and she is confused about the hostility from the people of Earth. I think..."

But the Queen was already standing and Luna was joining her, flicking her tail around her feet almost protectively and looking at Minako in sudden distrust. Minako's words dried up.

"You think I should talk to her, is that it? Tell her that all of her fears are silly, that no one dislikes her and that the people of Earth has no right to their worries? Do you want me to lie to her?"

Minako shook her head and felt the rage bubble up inside her, sudden and intoxicating. _Do you want me to lie to her?_ Hadn't they been doing that all along? Surely she could not stand before her and pretend to be doing this for the good of Serenity. Surely she could not believe that.

"No, your Majesty," she looked at the Queen as the mocking title rolled from her tongue and felt a sharp pang of unpleasant happiness when the silver haired woman flinched. "I do not wish to lie. I only wish for you to understand that Serenity is no longer a child. Her blind trust in you, in all of this, is fading quickly. She needs you to be honest with her. Is this treaty with Earth worth the loss of your daughter?"

"This treaty with Earth is everything!" Serenity shouted, and it was Minako's turn to flinch. They stood there for a moment in near silence, the sound of the Queen's harsh, uneven breathing mixing with the shuffle of Luna's tail. Neither Minako nor Ami, who was still standing next to the doorway with wide eyes, could believe what they had heard. Serenity herself seemed a bit surprised. She touched the arm of the couch and closed her eyes.

"We as a people, I as a Queen, as a mother, as a... _wife_, have sacrificed too much to let this treaty die right when it is on the verge of passing." Now she turned to Minako, her eyes filled with something close to pleading, as close as she had ever come to begging for understanding. "Do you not know of our sacrifice, Minako? Do you think I am cold? Heartless? Do you think I care nothing for my daughter?"

Minako raised a hand to her heart, choking on tears she had promised never to shed. Many promises had been broken, however, and many lies had been told.

"I feel her worry and fear, Serenity," she whispered, feeling like a child for the first time in years and not especially enjoying the emotion. "I feel her pain. She thinks you don't love her anymore."

Minako's eyes moved back to the Queen's almost fearfully but this time the clash was much softer. Breathing in quickly, she took in the sight of Serenity's large eyes full of tears and heartbreak, thinking in that moment how much she looked like the princess, and feeling her own heart break because of it.

"I love her. But love isn't just kissing someone and holding them tightly. Quietly watching over someone is a kind of love as well."

Minako put her head down once more, took a deep breath, considered her words. When her head came up once again, the tears that had been standing in her eyes before had flowed over onto her cheeks and glimmered there like a million lies, softly, ever so softly accusing. Yes, she knew their sacrifice. But why? She had forgotten what it was for. And now she stood in front of her Queen, a woman she had once called a friend, and she was fighting back the urge to scream in her frustration: _but if you're watching so closely then how does it feel like it's all slipping away?_

But she could not say that; it wouldn't matter if she did. So instead she only whispered, "Yes, your majesty," and turned to disappear with a swish of her skirt and the familiar clicks of her high-heeled shoes on the marble floor.

* * *

When the splashes finally settled down and the two strangers had calmed somewhat, they noticed for the first time how truly wet they had made themselves. Still, for some reason neither knew, they could not stop their giggles.

"I can't believe you fell for that," Serenity/Usagi said, wiping the fountain water (or were those tears of laughter?) from her eyes. "Surely you knew I was going to get you back for all that smirking you were doing."

Mamoru only laughed and shook his head as he tried to stand, taking what looked to be like half of the water with him. Serenity had to force herself to look away quickly from the way his clothes clung to him, smiling just a little at the thought of how Minako would react in her situation. Biting her lips to keep the laughter inside now, she waited for the slosh of water that would signify that he had moved away and it was safe to look again. The only noise was one of him clearing his throat.

Almost shyly she ventured a glance at him and was surprised to see his hand out, smiling at her patiently. Cocking her head to the side, she considered telling him that she didn't trust him, but that was one lie in a sea of lies that she just couldn't let past her lips. She was a trusting soul if ever there was one and something inside of her was screaming that for this man, with his unreadable blue eyes and complicated smile, it was somehow justified. They shared a smile as he took her hand and helped her up.

Her clothes and hair were heavy from the water and almost impossible to move. Her hair, still blonde and thick, clung to her arms and back, restricting her movement and generally being bothersome. Her skirt stuck to her legs when she went to move and with the added weight of the cape, she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to get out of the fountain. As if he set out with the goal in life of frustrating and confusing her, Mamoru jumped quickly and easily, clearing the base of the fountain as if he had floated over in completely dry clothes. Furrowing her brow and seeking to show him just how graceful she really was, Serenity took the hand he offered her and began to calmly step out.

She tripped.

Her foot, weighed down by the water and skirt, didn't quite clear the base of the fountain. Crying out- in warning? In fear? In complete and total frustration?- she reached for Mamoru's shoulders for balance. Taking a step back to counter the added weight, Mamoru's foot tangled in his cape and they both tumbled to the grass for a second time that evening.

"Some Prince Charming you are," Serenity mumbled, her words muffled by Mamoru's chest where she had somehow managed to land in his chest. Her new companion didn't answer.

He had hit his head on a rock and been knocked out.

* * *

_Everything was misty. The fog covered everything, lying like a thick blanket over every edge of this world. Ahead, through the fog, were two doors, both closed but unlocked. Endymion knew this without being told and without trying. Knowledge seemed to swirl all around but stay somehow out of reach, as tangible and yet untouchable as the fog itself. _

_A dark figure stepped out of the midst, her long hair swishing around the bottom of her skirt. She was dressed in the familiar outfit of a sailor senshi, a long staff like a key in her right hand. Opening her left hand, she held it out to him, beckoning that he come closer._

_"It is beginning. Come prince. You must choose."_

_He took a step forward, almost against his will, watching in wander as she brought her staff down to slice through the fog. Both doors began to glow around the edges, the door on the left a soft shade of yellow gold, the door on the right a silvery-white barely a different shade than the mist that surrounded them. Both seemed to radiate light and love somehow and, for some reason that was beyond him at that moment, the decision between the two doors felt serious and heart breaking._

_He stepped towards the door with the white light and faltered, unsure. What if he chose wrongly? Why did it feel so urgent that he didn't?_

_A small hand touched his elbow and he tried to turn only to find that he couldn't. Still a voice, familiar and sweet, drifted up to his ears._

_"You know what you must do. Walk on," the voice whispered. He felt pain now, physical, as if he was being ripped in two from the inside out._

_"Who are you?" he asked._

_"I am the one who walks behind you, now and forever. I cannot guide you, I can only urge you to keep moving, that you may remember even though I am no longer by your side, I remain with you forever."_

_"Who are you?" he tried to ask again, not satisfied with the answer, but the gentle hand was pushing, urging him to move._

_"Walk on, Mamoru," it whispered, so he did._

_He paused only once more, spared only one last glance at the door glowing with gold, but by then it had changed and was now a mirror, streaked with red. _

_Only after he had moved through the white door did he realize that the red tainting the mirror was blood._

_And still he walked on._

* * *

"Mamoru?"

His head was throbbing like a pulse, pain oozing in and out of every available space in his mind. He could taste copper in the back of his throat, hot and slick when he tried to swallow. He was terrified to open his eyes.

"Mamoru? Mamoru, please. Mamoru!"

The voice was insistent, familiar. He remembered the person from his dream, the angel that had walked behind him. Was it her?

Cracking open his eyes, he had to wince against the light she gave off. He had been right earlier when he said she glowed, and it was even easier to see it now. With her hovering over him, her eyes wide with unshed concern and her hair disheveled, she truly was a sight. A beautiful sight, his mind added, almost as an afterthought.

She was all he could see; she took up all his vision. It was as if she had replaced the sky itself.

"Usagi?"

"Mamoru? Are you all right? We fell and you hit your head and..."

Endymion couldn't help it; he began to laugh. Even though his head pounded, even though his mouth was full of blood and his tongue ached where he must have bitten it on contact with the ground, even when Usagi's beautiful face switched from concern to confusion to anger, even then he couldn't stop the laughter.

"We didn't just fall," he wheezed, wondering why on earth this was so funny. "You tripped and landed on me. What a klutz."

Usagi was on her feet in an instant, hands balled by her side, eyes an angry gleam of fire.

"That all you can say to me? I stay here by your side for five minutes, worried out of my mind that you've fallen on your fat head and killed yourself and all you can say to me is..."

"Please, Usagi," he interrupted, wincing as he touched the back of his head. "I have a headache."

"You have a headache? A _headache?_" She was shrieking now, and he wasn't sure she was aware of it.

"Yes, well, I did nearly crack my head open on a rock because of you," he said quietly, examining his fingers that were coated in blood from his wound at the back of his head. Laying them flat against the place once more, he closed his eyes and concentrated his energy, hoping Usagi wouldn't notice the gold sparks that flew but desperately needing to heal himself.

"Because of _me?_ Mr. 'I don't trust you, therefore I am following you'? This is _my_ fault now? You're the one who..." Usagi paused from her rant to watch him, confused and mystified. Her voice came out much smaller when she continued. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just a little trick someone showed me." He pulled the hand away from his head and it came away clean, not one trace of blood. Serenity, quite capable of a few magic tricks herself, still could not keep herself from gaping and Endymion smiled. "All better. Now, do you think you can help me up without killing one of us?"

Usagi scowled deeply but still offered her hand, which he took gratefully. Stumbling up to his feet, he nearly lost his balance and sent them tumbling again, but she steadied him and he gripped her until the gray wave passed. The moon was bright above them, but he knew it was late and he should have been inside to talk to his parents long ago. Looking up at her, he caught her gaze as it softened, melting into something warm and confused and utterly unexplainable. They were inches from each other, only inches and miles, and he felt her frustration as clearly as if it a real thing he could hold in his hand.

He went to speak, and his voice came out husky and surprising, not at all cocky or infuriating like he had hoped. The breath from his words moved the hair that was drying away from her face.

"Do I frustrate you, Usagi?"

She had no words for him for the first time; she could only nod as she took in his closeness and remembered that first surprising touch. What was this?

"You frustrate me too." He told her simply, his gaze honest and unmoving. She started at that.

"Why?"

Leaning up quickly, before he could stop himself or second-guess, he brushed his lips against hers. It was so quick that Serenity, later that night in her room, unable to sleep for the different emotions that coursed through her veins, would wonder if she had imagined it.

_Because I can't have you._

Smiling just a bit, the same smile from before that caused Serenity's heart and temper to race simultaneously, Endymion pulled from her embrace and began to walk away. Serenity stood still, her mouth agape as she watched him walk into the darkness. Finally she screamed, "Are you just going to leave me here? Don't you care that a stranger is running around in the royal gardens?"

A sound rang out from the darkness... was it laughter? Yes, it was. He was laughing at her!

"I trust you," he said, and left a very frustrated princess alone in the dark.

* * *

A woman, dressed simply in a dark cape and hood pulled over the fire of her hair, made her way quickly down a set of dirty steps. Rats scurried around her, fleeing from the sudden intrusion of a human in their habitat, but she ignored them completely. Pressing a stone on the wall as she had the first day she found this place, she moved inside when the wall moved and waited for a moment in the darkness. In her heart burned a secret anger, an emotion she had tried and failed to shut herself off from, an image that ached like a wound: two people beneath her, intertwined in each other's arms like lovers, lips meeting in the dark. They were both fools, lying to each other and lying to themselves, and yet it burned her. She had only wanted _him._

Stepping forward, she hardened her heart against the pain. Light flicked up from the floor out of nowhere and a shapeless piece of darkness suddenly moved up in front of her. Beryl fell immediately to her knees, feeling the bite of the dirt and grit of the stone and fighting back the last tears that she would ever shed.

_Why do you come to me?_ a voice whispered out of the darkness.

Beryl looked up at the form, the mark on its forehead, and the evil promise in its eyes. She paused, knowing there was no turning back, and proceeded to sell her soul.

"I have considered your offer Queen Metallia, and I agree."

The thing cackled with glee.

"Then he shall be yours, and their kingdom shall be mine." The voice, if it could be called that, dropped even lower and Beryl could feel the warm, unpleasant tingle of something foreign touching her cheek. "But first you shall get the princess. She is the key to all of this."

* * *

AN: well, what do you think? A little bit dark in places, huh? I know things are still confusing but we'll find out a lot in the next chapter, for example: the prophecy. Dun dun dun. lol.

Also, I need to say that I am drawing a lot on the Manga for this one. I am trying to use lines from the manga to draw the past and present together, but I am NOT trying to pass these lines off as my own. So I'll try to tell you every time I do it. In this chapter, the line that Queen Serenity says to Minako about love ("Quietly watching over someone...") is a badly butchered line from the manga, only in the actual manga, it is Pluto that says that referring to Chibi-Usa. Just wanted to say that.

Oh, and please tell me if you do or don't like the way I'm doing this. It's actually like I'm trying to write a first season sort of romance, only in the silver millennium. I just hope it makes sense.


	6. Chapter Five Waiting

AN: Again, this chapter took longer than I wanted it to. Sorry about that. School is a big pain in the rear, but I'm sure most of you know that.

Many thank goes to all that reviewed the last chapter and all of the previous ones (and a great big hello and kiss to the new people also!). Some people seem to be dropping off though and I really hope it's just because they're busy and I'm not boring them to death. I know this is annoying, but I need to say it: I am a very insecure person. I need comments to tell me if I'm doing a good or bad job. It's as simple as that folks. My heart is in your hands. PLEASE REVIEW. The less reviews, the slower I write. :(

Also, if there's one thing I don't like about this story, it's that it is far from original. But what can I say? It was my first story on here and I started it before I had read a lot of the fics out there. So I hope you'll forgive me for that, and like some of the new things I'm trying to bring to this despite that.

One more thing before the new chapter: I need someone who would be willing to let me bounce ideas off of them for a new story, to see how original it is and see if it would work. Of course, if the person is also willing to be my beta reader, I would be eternally grateful as well. The story is going to be a comedy/romance AU. A LOT different from this one.

Ok, I'm done. On with the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Five- Waiting**

The next morning, Serenity did something she had never done before; she feigned sick. Both Minako and Ami came in to visit her, Minako petting her and Ami asking an endless string of questions, worried that the princess had somehow contracted a harmful Earth disease that she might not recover from. Serenity had insisted (feeling quite guilty) that she would be fine, that she was just very tired and that it was probably just the trip after all and she would feel better tomorrow. Ami had nodded, but with worry in her eyes.

Finally they had left for the first meeting of the Silver Alliance with Earth as a member and Serenity had fell back in the bed, relieved. Guilty or not, she was exhausted and confused. She soon fell into a fitful sleep in which she dreamed she was lying on her back in a purple mist, unable to cry out as she choked and smothered on the taste of liquid pennies.

It was generally a bad idea to tell Eizou not to do something, because as soon as the words of warning left your mouth, she immediately set to work doing exactly what you had just said not to do. Some people (her parents) never learned. They had absolutely _forbid _her from visiting the Moon Princess. More over, they had **_demanded_ **that she stay with Beryl all day. So she had listened, nodded politely, even curtsied for good show, and promptly walked out of the door scheming.

Endymion knew her, if no one else. He had given her the look he always did and touched his heart. This was their secret sign for each other, roughly translated it meant, _don't hurt me. _Endymion had started doing it when they were younger and Eizou was always getting into trouble or hurting herself. Because of their bond, strengthened by magic, they often shared each other's pain, so the warning made sense. However, coupled with the look he often gave her, the message became even clearer:

_Stay out of trouble!_

Ah... but trouble wasn't really trouble unless you got caught... right?

So now there she was, tiptoeing down the hall towards the room the Moon Princess was staying in, wearing a gown of pure black silk, her long, dark hair cascading behind her and her high heels clicking quietly against the marble floor. Losing Beryl had been almost boringly easy, but the guards outside the princess' door would prove more interesting. She could zap them, but that would cause too much trouble and she didn't really want to hurt anyone. She had been practicing at larger forms of magic, but she didn't trust her ability in them enough just yet to give them a try. Deep in thought, she rested in a hallway adjacent from the door and waited.

After no more than two minutes, a figure in an orange fuku stepped out of the princess' door. The guards jumped immediately to attention, addressing her as she strode by, her walk purposeful and fast.

"We didn't realize you were still in with the princess, Sailor Venus," one ventured, looking slightly afraid. Eizou understood why. Talk of the Sailor Senshi's powers drifted through the galaxy, often tinged with something close to awe. Although Eizou had never met any of the senshi personally, she had seen pictures of them and Venus, as the leader, had especially stood out. Something about the girl walking down the hallway struck her as odd, though. Her hair was _extremely _long.

"Well then, you aren't paying enough attention," the girl said stiffly, and Eizou had to sink into the shadows of the other doorway so she wouldn't see her as she walked past. Waiting until the guards had turned away and began to mutter amongst themselves, Eizou quietly stepped out of her hiding place and began to follow the girl. Venus (or whoever this girl was) paused and Eizou had to jump quickly into a doorway to avoid being seen when she turned around. Her pulse beating a crazy rhythm in her head, Eizou smiled when the girl lifted a pink pen in the air and whispered something softly. For a moment there was nothing but light, warm and pink and inviting. Then it faded, and Eizou was staring in interest at the princess of the Moon.

She paused for a moment, considering and smiling, before curiosity won over. Stepping out of her hiding place, she cleared her throat and waited while Serenity whirled around quickly, her eyes wide at being discovered. Both princesses surveyed the other, taking in their differences and waiting, thinking truly they could not have been more different if they had been opposites. Serenity's silver hair and glowing skin contrasted sharply to Eizou's own raven tresses and tanned complexion, and although both pairs of eyes were wide and blue, Eizou's eyes were much darker and much more sharp that that of the Serenity's, whose lighter blue eyes were soft and innocent in appearance.

They stood there that way for what must have been at least a minute before the sound of approaching guards drew them out of their reverie. Eizou spared not even a second to think about her actions, simply put out her hand and grasped Serenity's within her own to pull her along. The moon princess did not protest (she was too shocked and worried about being caught), but instead made only one small noise as she was dragged down the hallway and into an empty room.

"Well, that was close," Eizou said, smiling. Serenity mirrored the gesture, although her smiled was somewhat shaky. Their hands dropped apart from each other and Serenity brought hers up to her chest, fingers resting lightly on the racing beat of her heart. She looked at Eizou for a long moment, eyes narrowing in concentration. Finally she said, "Pardon me, but you look very familiar."

Eizou's smile only grew as she gave a mock curtsey. Serenity noticed for the first time a gold medallion around the girl's neck, inlayed with a jewel swirled with blue and green. It dangled as she bowed, reminding Serenity of the blue glass ball that Earth appeared to be from the Moon.

Eizou straightened.

"Well, actually princess, I came in search of you, but it is only by accident that I found you. We are both curious it seems."

It was only when Serenity's eyes clouded with confusion so obvious that Eizou had to stifle her laughter that the dark-haired princess continued.

"I am Eizou, the princess of Earth." She put her hand out once again but the silver-haired young woman could only look on in shock. "I am pleased to finally meet you Princess Serenity."

And the sweet, shocked smile of the Moon Princess, the light that poured from her, was almost overwhelming.

* * *

When they had calmed some, they talked about a great many things, their silk gowns spread out on the ground around them and their knees nearly touching. It seemed they were instant friends; a concept Eizou had neither believed in nor expected before. Both girls, who had been kept from each other for years, were mystified at the other's presence and a seemingly endless stream of questions poured from their mouths.

Finally that one question came up, the one question that rendered the moon princess shy:

"Do you... know about the prophecy?"

Eizou looked at her, her mouth slightly parted. Finally she smiled, surprised.

"Of course. Everyone knows about it. Don't you?"

Serenity shook her head and Eizou stared. Feeling self-conscious, Serenity rambled.

"I know the people dislike me, or are afraid of me, but I don't know why. On the Moon we are not supposed to speak of it and my mother..." she paused, not knowing if she should finish that thought. Finally she looked up away from her fingers, which were twisting like snakes in her hand, and toward the sympathetic, surprised face of the dark princess. "Will you tell me?" she asked quietly, and Eizou nodded.

Opening her mouth, she began...

* * *

_Eighteen years before the birth of Serenity, Endymion, or Eizou, the Earth was a relatively peaceful place. The main reason for this was that it was still under protection of the Moon, and its two rulers Otoko and Shujin were peaceful people who cared for the Earth and all that inhabited it. Still, as their rule continued, they became restless at the idea of always depending on the moon and its rulers, Queen Serenity and King Heiwa. They wanted their own place in the Silver Millennium and more so, they wanted their own Sailor Senshi._

_Shujin wanted nothing more than to have a child. Daily she went into the temple and prayed to the Gods for such, but soon selfishness crept into her wishes. A male child would be needed for an heir, a ruler, and a Sailor Senshi could only be female. So she prayed, and instead of praying for the health of her child, or the well being of her world, she prayed that the Gods would find a way to give her both. She told no one of her desires, and soon she did indeed become pregnant. The people rejoiced._

_She gave birth to twins, Endymion and Eizou. Shujin was ecstatic that the Gods had found a way to answer her prayers. When the children were a week old she threw a party, inviting people from the other planets, including a very pregnant Queen Serenity and her husband. She stood in front of the crowd of people and unveiled the two children, announcing that now the Earth had everything that it needed and that "this star shall indeed be independent."_

_From the crowd there stepped a woman, a hood over her head, masking all of her features. She regarded the two children with a sneer and with a voice steady and bold proclaimed, "Queen, you lie!"_

_The crowd gasped. The Queen, too shocked and angry to move, only stood there as the lady went on. _

_"These children do indeed contain the heart of a soldier; the Golden crystal shines within them. But your greed has blinded you, Shujin. You asked for too much without giving even a single thought to the consequences! The crystal is split, each contains half and only half." She waited until these words had sunk in and the people were giving each other looks of worry before she continued._

_"But I am here not to reprimand you but instead to tell you of the prophecy that has been shown to me. You shall have your independence, Shujin, but it shall be at the cost of many lives, for fate will leave this star lonely and unprotected. Your people shall die and your kingdom as you know it shall crumble. And your children..." the woman stepped forward and ran her hands over both children's rosy red cheeks. "Two shall become one, and both shall die in the name of the new moon. You shall have your soldier and your heir, but your selfishness will have cost you everything."_

_When she was finished, the room was silent, unable to comprehend the horrors she had described. The noise that followed did not start small, instead it erupted with a swell and crash that resembled a breaking wave. Men cried out in alarm, holding their terrified wives and looking to the Queen in worry. Shujin, suddenly overcome with fury and fear (two emotions which all too often walk hand in hand) proclaimed that she wanted the woman hung for treason. Before they could do any such thing however, she disappeared, never to be seen again._

_Time passed._

_At first there was disbelief, then fear, then rage. When the Princess Serenity was born, the people of Earth found a good place to direct all of these emotions. She was everything that stood for the new moon and, because of this, she was an enemy. The people rioted, destroying communications with the moon and cutting themselves free of any planet that supported Serenity. Small battles broke out and it was all the Moon could do to avoid war. King Heiwa visited the Earth several times promoting peace, and it was rumored that it was there that he was killed by rioters. Trying to preserve the shaky hold on peace that her husband had so fought for, Serenity told the people of the Moon that the King had died of a sudden illness. The kingdom mourned, the Queen grew cold, and across the span of two stars, three children grew up._

_Part of the prophecy proved true; although Endymion and Eizou were both capable of small forms of magic, their powers were not that of a senshi. Still, they were well-loved and protected by their people, many believing that with a little practice, Eizou could be the senshi they desired and Endymion would be the leader they soon needed. The Moon Princess remained a light of hope for the rest of the galaxy; her kind, forgiving nature and equal curiosity endeared the people to her._

_In time they grew older, even as the hatred from the people of Earth cooled slightly. This was, in a large part, due to the fact that the Earth suffered greatly without the protection of the Moon. Fearing the loss of their star, the King proposed a deal: the Earth would stop all wars and would again allow the Moon ultimate control, as long as the Earth was allowed a place in the Silver Alliance. Queen Serenity agreed, promising also to keep the Moon Princess away from the Prince and Princess of Earth._

_After all, how could they die for someone they would never meet?_

* * *

Eizou told Serenity all of this, barring the rumor of how her father had died, and watched in amazement as the silver haired princess began to cry. Normally a person in complete control of her emotions, Eizou could only sit in open-mouthed wonder, shocked by the sadness and undeniable sincerity in her tears.

"It's all because of me, all of this. No wonder they hate me. I put everything they have in danger." Her large eyes turned to Eizou, suddenly comprehending. She began to stand. "Even you. Especially you. I shouldn't be here. I should..."

Eizou grabbed her, a tiny smile whispering across her lips. She suddenly understood the love that the rest of the galaxy had for this girl, barely younger than herself. Her heart shown in her eyes, and what a big heart that was!

"All you should do is sit down." When Serenity hesitated, Eizou continued, her eyes and smirk hauntingly familiar. "The future is not set in stone, Serenity. It is something we shape with our own hands. Bad things may happen, but there is always hope, if we allow it. Do you believe that?"

Serenity hesitated a moment longer, then sat down beside her, nodding through her tears. Eizou laughed.

"Good."

Flicking her hand, a rose appeared out of nowhere. She handed it to Serenity who looked at her with wet eyes and wonder.

"Just a little trick I can do."

They both smiled.

* * *

That night, after being visited by Minako and Ami (who was beginning to feel the princess was being honest about feeling better and was not dying of some horrible Earth disease after all), Serenity lay in her bed thinking. She knew she shouldn't. She knew it was wrong.

And yet...

She pictured his eyes, that dark shade of unreadable midnight blue and remembered his smirk...

_"Do I frustrate you?"_

...Then his lips, their hands intertwined like two lovers, their kiss chaste, secret...

_"You frustrate me too."_

...She had seen longing in his eyes, those secret stranger eyes, and she had felt something so large twist inside her that she wasn't sure she could contain it.

_It is beginning..._

What was beginning? And did she have the power to deny whatever it was?

Closing her eyes, she thought for a long time. His image hung on the back of her eyelids like it had been burned there and when she had opened them, her decision had been made. Throwing the covers back, she jumped out of the bed and thrust the pen in the air. There was a moment of hesitation, but it could not take hold with the pink light filtering down and sinking into her bones. Her last thought before starting over the balcony was one that made her giggle despite her heavy heart:

_Trouble isn't really trouble unless you got caught... right?_

* * *

He didn't think she would come; in fact, he was sure she wouldn't. More over, he didn't care if she came or not, he was just enjoying the gardens in solitude. Endymion lifted his eyes to the light of the moon and sighed. Nope, he didn't care one bit. Which was precisely why he had been sitting in that space next to the fountain, unmoving, for the past hour.

In truth, he had been hard pressed to think of anything else all day long. Although barred from the meeting because of the Princess' presence, Endymion had secretly looked around the palace for Usagi every chance he got, but to no avail. He could only guess that she was with the Princess somewhere and, unless she showed up in the gardens, he feared he would never see her again.

He sighed again, the light from the moon so bright that it made his eyes water, and finally stood.

And there she was, waiting, watching.

"Hello," she said, looking almost shy. The fire in her eyes was dim, but still there. A pleasant fire of his own burned down deep in his heart, and he smiled in confusion at the emotions that fueled it.

"Hello."

They stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving in their sudden shyness. He was struck by how strange it was, them being so timid when the night before so much had happened between them. In a flash he recalled her large eyes and trembling fingers in the moment of their kiss, her sweet taste like something exotic and forbidden lingering far after he had walked back to the palace and returned to being the prince. In the dark he flushed and gave her his cockiest smile to cover it.

"Wondering the gardens again? And why may I ask?"

"To see you."

Her honesty was surprising, but pleasant. He stepped towards her and she put her hands up, blushing clearly even in the dark.

"I didn't... I mean... I have to ask you something."

He stopped, rocked back on his heels, smiling. Finally he sat down on the ledge of the fountain and gestured for her to do the same... which she did after placing some distance between them.

Hands in her lap, her fingers squirmed restlessly for a moment, and for that moment she watched them. Finally she looked up, effectively knocking the breath from him with just that look in her eyes.

"What does your Prince think about her... the Moon Princess that is?"

Endymion (or Mamoru to this small stranger) was somewhat surprised by the question and it took him a moment to answer.

"Well, he fears her a little I think, as most of us do." He didn't notice her flinch. "But he has also heard stories of her kindness and gentleness and is intrigued by her as well."

"And you?" Usagi asked, her voice small, breathless.

He smiled.

"I have heard she is the most gorgeous woman in the galaxy by many people. But they didn't know."

He was growing closer and she was blushing more because of it, her face childishly serious in the light of the full moon.

"They didn't know what?" she whispered. His lips were near her ear now and she could feel the shivers traveling down her spine.

"They didn't know about you."

She blushed a moment longer, then began to laugh at the unbelievable irony of it all. Just when he was pulling back and feeling like the most assuming jerk in the galaxy, she grabbed him and kissed his doubts away.

"That was the worst line I've ever heard," she told him, laughing again once they had pulled apart. Blushing, he could only reach for her again, wondering what had gotten into him, saying something like that. But something inside of him was growing, twisting, coming to life in his heart. It was pushing at the edges, fighting to get out, stretching the limits of his own lies.

_I wasn't waiting on her._

But it was a lie. He _had_ been waiting on her.

He felt like he had been waiting on her his whole life.


End file.
